# Geekiest band **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 9, 2005, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geekiest-band/320759 "2005-09-09T01:45:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2005, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geekiest-band/320759/21 "2005-09-09T05:48:46Z")
[This picture here](http://www.ondarock.it/photo/Grandaddy.jpg) gives you an idea of what they look like. ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2005, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geekiest-band/320759/22 "2005-09-09T06:24:26Z")
The Violent Femmes have always struck me as being fairly geeky. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Rieux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Dr.Rieux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Rieux)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2005, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geekiest-band/320759/23 "2005-09-09T06:34:23Z")
How about [The Cramps](http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:ttxuak6k5m3n~T1)? ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2005, 8:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geekiest-band/320759/24 "2005-09-09T08:30:59Z")
> [@Dr. Rieux](#): > > How about [The Cramps](http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:ttxuak6k5m3n~T1)? A band whose bio includes the phrase “perverse and glistening sex” can’t be geeky. Geekiness and overt sexuality, in the music world, do not go together. In my opinion. ---
**Author:** ![uglybeech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/82dd89/32.png) [@uglybeech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/uglybeech)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2005, 8:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geekiest-band/320759/25 "2005-09-09T08:51:45Z")
Ween - ubergeeks. Ubergeeks on drugs. ---
**Author:** ![Sophistry\_and\_Illusion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Sophistry\_and\_Illusion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sophistry_and_Illusion)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2005, 9:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geekiest-band/320759/26 "2005-09-09T09:08:37Z")
[Take your pick.](http://www.nyheter.nu/kultur/) ---
**Author:** ![Tentacle\_Monster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ba9def/32.png) [@Tentacle\_Monster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tentacle_Monster)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2005, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geekiest-band/320759/27 "2005-09-09T13:43:57Z")
How about the Minibosses? They do covers of Nintendo songs. And lots of others do the same. For Geekiest Solo Artist, I nominate Tom Lehrer. Oh yeah. ---
**Author:** ![CandidGamera](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/candidgamera/32/2878_2.png) [@CandidGamera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CandidGamera)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2005, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geekiest-band/320759/28 "2005-09-09T13:49:15Z")
Optimus Rhyme? The Arrogant Worms? MC Frontalot? ---
**Author:** ![Bomzaway](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e480ec/32.png) [@Bomzaway](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bomzaway)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2005, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geekiest-band/320759/29 "2005-09-09T14:08:23Z")
I’m not sure if they fall into the geeky category or the nerdy category but how 'bout a little Canadian band called **Rush**? They’ve got science fiction stories in their songs like _2112, The Body Electric_, _Cygnus X-1_ (and the sequel _Hemispheres_). They’ve got songs about science, such as \*Natural Science, High Water \* (about evolution), _Chemistry_, even an homage to the space shuttle program in _Countdown_. They’re constantly delving into the realm of sociological science with songs like _Turn the Page, Killer Instinct,_ the Fear series (_Witch Hunt, The Enemy Within, The Weapon_). They even get into world history with songs like _Bastille Day_ and _Farewell to Kings_. Geeky? Nerdy? A little of both? Have you seen Geddy Lee? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![JohnBckWLD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d6d6ee/32.png) [@JohnBckWLD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnBckWLD)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2005, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geekiest-band/320759/30 "2005-09-09T14:43:14Z")
> [@Sophistry and Illusion](#): > > [Take your pick.](http://www.nyheter.nu/kultur/) Geeks in leisure suits - and bowling shirts! ---
**Author:** ![cantara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6f9a4e/32.png) [@cantara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cantara)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2005, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geekiest-band/320759/31 "2005-09-09T15:00:27Z")
[Sloan](http://www.sloanmusic.com/a/audiovideo), especially their breakout hit [Underwhelmed](http://www.sonymusic.ca/cgi-bin/Canada/stream.cgi?file=Canada/Sloan/underwhelm_live_full_vidhi.rm) > [@](#): > > She was underwhelmed > If that’s a word > I know it’s not > 'Cause I looked it up > That’s one of those skills > That I learned in my school > > I was overwhelmed > And I’m sure of that one > 'Cause I learned it > Back in grade school > When I was young > … ---
**Author:** ![AndyPolley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/54ee81/32.png) [@AndyPolley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AndyPolley)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2005, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geekiest-band/320759/32 "2005-09-09T15:12:40Z")
> [@Bomzaway](#): > > I’m not sure if they fall into the geeky category or the nerdy category but how 'bout a little Canadian band called **Rush**? Gotta give it up to Rush as being a trio of geeks. I’ll add **Phish** to the discussion. They were all about a few hippie-influenced geeks. They carried on tour-long chess matches with the audience, where there was one move per show. Pretty cool in a geeky sort of way. I’ll also toss out **Yo La Tengo** as another candidate. I think their music is pretty mellow & cool, but when I actually saw them? Pretty geeky. But there is something undeniably cool about their instumental surf-rock version of Blitzkreig Bop. ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2005, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geekiest-band/320759/33 "2005-09-09T15:13:09Z")
Speaking of Rush, the song “YYZ” uses the Morse code for “YYZ” (-.-- -.-- --…) for part of the beat. YYZ is the airport code for Toronto int’l. Brian ---
**Author:** ![Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bippy_the_Beardless)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2005, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geekiest-band/320759/34 "2005-09-09T15:16:29Z")
One for us old timers [Thomas Dolby](http://www.thomasdolby.com/) Remember “She blinded me with Science” ? ---
**Author:** ![Rufus\_Xavier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@Rufus\_Xavier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rufus_Xavier)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2005, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geekiest-band/320759/35 "2005-09-09T15:30:41Z")
Bela Fleck and the Flecktones. Not so much for their personal appearances, but for the music and the audience. The audience at the shows I’ve been to seems to be almost exclusively young white geek types, mostly male. The music is instrumental, an odd mixture of jazz, bluegrass and world music. Some songs have far out time signatures like 9/8 (“Vix 9”) and 11/16(“Almost 12”). Bela Fleck is widely considered the best banjo player alive, and the bass player Victor Lemonte Wooten is considered by many to be the best bass player alive. The music is fast, fluid and precise. Bela Fleck wrote a song called UFO Tofu, which contains musical palindromes where several bars of music are played one way and then played again in reverse. For this song alone, they should be considered geeky. [http://www.flecktones.com/](http://www.flecktones.com/) ---
**Author:** ![AndyPolley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/54ee81/32.png) [@AndyPolley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AndyPolley)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2005, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geekiest-band/320759/36 "2005-09-09T15:34:48Z")
> [@Rufus Xavier](#): > > Bela Fleck and the Flecktones. Throwing Bela Fleck & the Flecktones into the geek discussion without mentioning “Futureman?” I love that band, and Bela himself is certainly a geek, but IMO, the Wooten bros. are too funky to be considered geeky. ---
**Author:** ![BurnMeUp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@BurnMeUp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BurnMeUp)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2005, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geekiest-band/320759/37 "2005-09-09T16:08:34Z")
> [@Robot Arm](#): > > In the summer of '95 (give or take a year), at the Moore Theater in Seattle, The Presidents of the United States of America opened for They Might Be Giants. That was a good show. I can do you one better on a geek scale, one tour when i saw them the opener was an electric zyther player named Brian DeWan. As far as geeky goes, there’s also a Seattle based Harcore group named Bloodhag and every one of their songs i based on Sci Fi authors. ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2005, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geekiest-band/320759/38 "2005-09-09T18:17:51Z")
[No contest](http://www.the-nerds.com)… ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Carnage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/max_carnage/32/12775_2.png) [@Max\_Carnage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Carnage)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2005, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geekiest-band/320759/39 "2005-09-09T20:13:00Z")
> [@Wolfian](#): > > Beat me too it. They have a song which chronicles James K. Polk (Napoleon of the stump) Napoleon of the _South_ I’m a proud Tennessean…I love that song ---
**Author:** ![Shutterbug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3e96dc/32.png) [@Shutterbug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shutterbug)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2005, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geekiest-band/320759/40 "2005-09-09T23:03:09Z")
The Proclaimers, who would “Walk 500 Miles” and were on their “Way from Misery to Happiness” appear to be geeky too. I wonder if they’re still around. What about The String Cheese Incident? They sound like they may be geeky too. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geekiest-band/320759.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geekiest-band/320759.md?page=3)